By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The St. Louis Cardinals unveiled the logo for the 2009 All Star Game on Tuesday.
Representatives from the team and the city claim the 80th All-Star Game will bring millions of dollars to St. Louis and be an ideal showcase for the region.
In preparation for 2009, the Cardinals have announced a week-long Fan Fest at the America's Center as well as the wildly popular home-run derby.
Cardinals Slugger Albert Pujols was benched by his manager Tony LaRussa in the 2007 All-Star game. He joked that depending on how Cards do this year, he hopes to have another shot.
"Hopefully we can have Tony LaRussa be our manager. That means we will the World Series this year, or we are the National League champions. And hopefully if he's our manager then he can put me in the game."
The last time the midsummer classic was held in St. Louis was in 1966, the inaugural year of the old Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals started have also started work on the proposed Ballpark Village development adjacent to Busch Stadium.
The move comes despite the absence of approval from the St. Louis Board of Alderman to support a 35-year tax subsidy to pay for the project.
Cardinals President Bill Dewitt the third says it's important to start construction now in order to make cosmetic improvements before the All-Star Game.
"I would expect that by the All-Star Game next year a good portion of the site will be under construction and it will be a work zone. But, there should be a couple parcels on either side of it that should be available for some of those additional All-Star Game activities."
Plans call for a complex of office retail, restaurants and a boutique hotel .
The Cardinals and developer, Cordish Company, hope to have phase 1 of construction finished by 2010.